3 Red Wolves to compete in Texas vs. The Nation All-Star Game

JONESBORO, Ark. (1/17/13) - A part of back-to-back Sun Belt Conference football championships and a victory in the 2013 GoDaddy.com Bowl to close out their football careers at Arkansas State, seniors Ryan Aplin (QB), Don Jones (DB) and Taylor Stockemer (WR) have all been named to the Texas vs. The Nation All-Star Game roster.

All three A-State standouts will play for the Texas team in the game scheduled for 1:30 p.m. on Feb. 2 at Eagle Stadium in Allen, Texas. The Texas team will be coached by former Dallas Cowboys great Bill Bates, whose son Graham was a four-year letterman as a defensive back at Arkansas State from 2008-11.

Aplin, a three-time First Team All-Sun Belt Conference selection at quarterback, finished the 2012 season ranked No. 1 in the conference in passing efficiency (154.7), total offense (3,780 yards) and passing yards (3,342). The 2011 and 2012 Sun Belt Conference Player of the Year broke his own school record for passing touchdowns with 24 and was named the league's Offensive Player of the Week three straight times to end the regular season. Aplin is both ASU's and the Sun Belt Conference's all-time leader in career total offense, passing yards, and completions, with numerous other school records to his credit.

Jones recorded 74 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss, one pass interception and two pass break-ups as a senior. A 2012 Preseason All-Sun Belt pick, he ranked third on the team in total tackles and posted at least seven stops in six games, including a career-high 12 against Western Kentucky. Jones was twice named the conference's Special Teams Player of the Week in 2011 and tallied 128 tackles, 12 tackles for loss and two interceptions in his two seasons as a defensive back at ASU.

Stockemer ended his career at A-State as the Red Wolves' all-time leader in touchdown receptions with 16 to his credit. He was named All-Sun?Belt Conference as both a junior and senior and recorded 129 receptions for 2,146 yards during his time at ASU. His receptions total stands as the fifth most in school history and he is one of just three players in ASU?history to record over 2,000 receiving yards in a career.

Aplin, Jones and Stockemer will join Josh Arauco and Marcus Brown as A-State players to compete in the Texas vs. The Nation All-Star Game. Arauco, ASU's all-time leader in points by kicking and field goals made, and Brown, a three-year letterman at defensive back (2006, 2008-09), both played in the 2009 version of the game.